Company Profile
La Jolla Music Society
Company Overview
La Jolla Music Society is one of most prestigious and highly respected performing arts presenters in the United States. Our winter season presentations showcase a rich variety of classical, jazz, global roots, spoken word, family, and dance programming, at its state-of-the-art venue, The Conrad, as well as off-site venues throughout San Diego. In addition to our winter season and award-winning Learning & Engagement Programs, La Jolla Music Society also produces SummerFest, a renowned four-week chamber music festival featuring world-class artists and ensembles performing an array of concerts and programs curated by SummerFest Music Director, Inon Barnatan.
Company History
La Jolla Music Society (LJMS) is one of the foremost presenters of chamber music, jazz, dance, and world music in the West. It is based in the village of La Jolla, where in 2019 it completed construction of a state-of-the-art performing arts complex called The Conrad. LJMS is deeply connected to the San Diego community, with numerous arts education programs at local schools, connected with its performances, and an artist-in-residence program. Over the course of a year, LJMS presents some 70 to 80 performances in the San Diego region.
A leading contributor to San Diego’s cultural vitality since its founding over fifty years ago, LJMS’ October-to-May Winter Season offers a rich variety of artistic experiences: internationally renowned orchestras on tour in the United States, chamber music performances ranging from solo piano recitals to string quartets and early music specialists, a wide-ranging jazz series, and dance performances.
For many, LJMS is known best for SummerFest, a music festival produced each August. In 2022, SummerFest presented 20 performances and 70 free education events over a four-week period. These were held at The Conrad in its two primary venues: The Baker-Baum Concert Hall, which seats approximately 500, and The JAI, a black box space that seats about 150. Both spaces offer the attendees an intimate musical experience with impeccable acoustics, plus a full catering kitchen and bar in The JAI.
LJMS attracts some of the finest individual performers, string quartets, and other performing groups and companies from around the world as part of our carefully curated programming. We have a board of directors of about 30 members and a full-time staff of about 28. The Winter Season is curated by Artistic Director Leah Rosenthal, and SummerFest is overseen by Music Director Inon Barnatan, a world-renowned concert pianist.